The former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has told a UK court that she neither requested nor accepted bribes, insisting that all expenses incurred during her time in office were official and reimbursed by the Nigerian government.
Testifying at Southwark Crown Court in London, she explained that payments made on her behalf in the United Kingdom were tied to her official duties rather than personal benefit.
“I can state categorically that at no point did I ask for, take or receive a bribe of any sort from these persons and did not abuse my office,” she said, adding, “I always sought to act impartially.”
Prosecutors alleged that Nigerian businessmen funded several luxury expenses for her, including more than £2 million spent at Harrods and about £4.6 million used to refurbish properties in London and Buckinghamshire.
They also claimed she had access to multiple high-end homes, including properties in Marylebone and residences overlooking Regent’s Park.
However, Alison-Madueke told the court that such arrangements were part of official logistics, stating that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) reimbursed the costs through a London-based service company set up to manage travel and accommodation.
“They paid for all my hotels, chauffeurs… to allow me to perform the job that I did,” she said.
The court heard that she spent five days at a property in Gerrards Cross during Christmas in 2011 with her family because her ex-husband required medical care and could not return to Nigeria.
She also described a separate two-week stay at the same location, where she worked with officials on a book highlighting the Nigerian president’s support for women.
“I took it upon myself to put together that book to showcase what he did for women,” she said.
Responding to claims about other properties, she said one residence near Regent’s Park was used for “discrete” official meetings, while another linked to her was “completely gutted” and not in use when she saw it.
The court also heard that she and her mother stayed in apartments in St John’s Wood, with rent allegedly paid by Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko. She argued that this arrangement was more affordable than staying in luxury hotels such as Savoy and Dorchester, which cost about £2,000 per night.
She further denied any knowledge of a reported £100,000 cash delivery made by one of her chauffeurs, saying the money had “nothing to do with” her.
Alison-Madueke also spoke about the pressures she faced while in office, describing Nigeria as a “very patriarchal society” and noting that she faced “dire threats of kidnap”, with some family members abducted.
The former minister, who became the first female president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 2015, is facing five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, all of which she has denied.
She is standing trial alongside Olatimbo Ayinde, an oil executive, and Doye Agama, her brother, on a five-count charge related to bribery. Both have pleaded not guilty.